Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

REFLECTION:

This is a beautiful story of a mother and her seven sons. At first it may sound tragic—almost too painful to imagine—but there is a deeper beauty within it. This is not a story of defeat; it is a story of victory. Victory of faith over fear, conviction over compromise, and eternal hope over temporary suffering.

In 2 Maccabees 7, the mother watches each of her sons face torture and death rather than abandon the covenant. Any parent would collapse under such pain, yet she stands firm—not because she is hardened, but because she is anchored in God’s promises. Her strength flows from recognizing that God is the giver and restorer of life. She encourages her sons not to cling to earthly survival, but to embrace the eternal life God offers.

If we think about it, this mother had been comforting and nurturing her sons from the very beginning. She reminded them of who gave them life and who gifted them to her. She knew her role, understood her position, and lived with a humility that is incredibly powerful. God entrusted her with the gift of not just one child but seven, and she took good care of those gifts. And in the end, the victory came when she returned those gifts back to the Father. She gave birth to them in this world, and she prepared them for the next. Now, together, they are born into eternal life.

Her courage teaches us that true faith sees beyond the moment. While the world sees tragedy, she sees the victory God is preparing—a victory no king, no threat, and no earthly power can steal. She speaks to them in the language of their ancestors, reminding them of their identity. She even confronts the king, declaring that though he appears powerful, he is mortal and will face the judgment of God.

This story challenges us today to reflect on how we are nurturing the gifts God has given us—the gifts of family, children, friendships, and the people God has placed in our care. Like the mother of the Maccabees, we are entrusted with people, not possessions. They are gifts from God, not trophies for our pride.

This mother understood her role with deep humility. She did not claim ownership over her sons; she pointed them back to the One who created them. That same humility invites us to ask: Do I point the people I love toward God, or do I lift myself up in front of them?

If we think about it:

• Parents today spend years nurturing their children—feeding them, teaching them, comforting them. But do we also nurture their faith, helping them recognize the God who gave them life?
• Teachers, mentors, and leaders guide young people every day. But do we help them see God’s purpose, or do we guide them only toward success as the world defines it?
• Friends encourage and support one another. But do we lead our friends closer to Christ through our words and choices, or only toward what is easy and comfortable?

The mother in this story cared for her sons from birth to the end. She prepared them not only for life in this world but for eternal life in the next. And the victory came when she could offer them back to the Father with confidence. She received them as gifts, and she returned them as gifts.

That is the invitation for us: to receive the people in our lives with gratitude, to care for them with humility, and to lead them toward the One who gave them to us.



May we learn from her example—nurturing, guiding, and loving in ways that help others see God more clearly through us.